Champs crowned Monday, receive Sampson-signed basketball as prize

While some championship game halftimes feature acrobatics, dance routines or wardrobe malfunctions, the halftimes of the intramural basketball championship games instead gave students an opportunity to show off their 3-point-shooting talents.\nTwelve students – six male and six female, made the cut for the 3-point shootout with top scores at the qualifying shootout Feb. 20 in Wildermuth Gym. These participants then duked it out during the halftimes of the intramural basketball championship games with their eyes on the prize – a signed basketball from IU men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson.\nTwo players at a time were allowed to shoot during the half-time break of the division I co-ed game, as well as the men’s division I, II and III games and the women’s division I and II games. While 10 of the 12 ended up competing, only two were awarded the title.\nSenior Kendra Lower won on the women’s side with a final score of 12 points. She shot on Sunday during the women’s division I halftime but had to wait until Monday after the rest of the women had shot to find out she had won.\n“It was really exciting to shoot in Assembly Hall,” Lower said. “I didn’t think I shot very well but luckily I pulled it off.”\nOn the men’s side, sophomore Ryan Nagle was awarded the top prize with a score of 17. This was Nagle’s second time winning the shootout in two years.\n“It’s cool because it was two times in a row,” Nagle said. “I didn’t think I’d be able to do it again.”\nFreshman Morgan Davis also participated in the shootout. She shot during the halftime of the women’s division I game Monday. She also played on team Swisher Sweets in the women’s division II finals the day before.\n“It was amazing,” Davis said. “It’s cool to know I shot on the same court IU plays on.”\nNagle and Lower were each awarded a signed Sampson basketball, which both agreed was better than “just a T-shirt.”